Can You Meet Me Halfway?
by PoisonedRose12
Summary: She'd seen his ghostly eyes lose their glow countless times, but she'd never experienced the cost of losing the light in his ever-blue ones . . . yet she and Danny both knew they could meet, if only halfway. (Inspired by one of Cordia's Star Shots, ch 58: Eternity).


Inspired by the Black Eyed Peas song, as well as Cordria's one shot about Danny waiting in the ghost zone. It's in Star Shots ch 58: Eternity. And it's amazing. All her one shots are. Go read them. Now.

Also, this is not edited, and it's really just a drabble, so yeah. Fair warning.

A Danny Phantom Fanfiction by PoisonedRose12

* * *

_. . . Can you meet me halfway? . . ._

* * *

She felt it was always bittersweet hunting.

Sam followed the goopy trail of ectoplasm that veered on the road and sidewalk. She was alone tonight, since Tucker and Jazz had other obligations. Her scooter revved up a hill and turned down a looming alley, glowing green eyes at the dead end swiveling upon her arrival, green oozing out of a wound she had given it in the park earlier. There was a rotting smell of the alleyway's garbage mixed with the burning citrusy smell of fresh ectoplasm – a smell that always reminded her of that time she had brushed her teeth and then accidentally drank orange juice. Her violet eyes narrowed. "It's time for you to go, ghost."

_She remembered the last time he gave his famous battle cry, the last time he had fearlessly flown into danger._

Sam pulled out a hand held ecto-gun and the Fenton Thermos just as the ghost screamed, charging at her in fury and pain. The alley was small, with little room to maneuver, but she dodged to the side and rolled behind a garbage can. The ghost sailed past and as it whirled back for a second attack Sam gave a concise, practiced shot, hitting it in its one eye. It wailed in agony and writhed on the ground, defenseless.

_She remembers his form glowing as he lay on the ground, reversing back to human for the last time. She'd seen his ghostly eyes lose their glow countless times, but she'd never experienced the cost of losing the light in his ever-blue ones._

Not giving the mindless monster a chance to recover, she aimed the thermos and watched the ghost get sucked inside, its wails reverberating within her mind in the leftover silence and still present burnt citrus stench.

_She had cried far too much. Everyone had. But it hadn't lasted when they all realized that his absence meant more than the loss of a loved one – but also the loss of their greatest protector. Action had to be taken, not tears being spilt._

The thermos beeped, signaling it had reached its capacity. She grabbed her sturdy, cast-aside scooter and began the trip back to Fenton Works, her mind muddled with memories.

_They did their best, but hunting without Danny made it seem rather . . . hallow. And then a ghost had stolen all three Fenton Thermoses, their main source of capturing the invading spirits, and ran back into the ghost zone cackling, giving them no choice but to chase after it._

Fenton Works pulled into view, the sun set giving it a red glow. She set aside her scooter and, using the key Jazz gave her, she went inside.

_They were shocked to find the ghost as soon as they'd entered the Ghost Zone in the Specter Speeder, and they were absolutely floored when they saw who held the renegade ghost in one hand and the three Fenton Thermoses by their straps in the other. He smiled shakily and waved, his familiar grin sending Sam's heart to pieces._

The house was empty, the Fenton family having gone an expedition to find some ghost out in the middle of nowhere. Mr. and Mrs. Fenton had taken Danny's death like any parent, and the news about his true identity even harder, but after two years they'd now resumed their life to the best of their abilities, especially now that Jazz was much more interested in ghosts and ghost fighting.

_He'd said something cheeky like, "I think these belong to you guys?" but it was lost in Sam jumping straight out of the Specter Speeder and into the nothingness that was the Ghost Zone before pounding straight into his thinly barreled chest and squeezing the afterlife out of him. _

_She'd been so mad. Why was he here in the ghost zone? Why was he a ghost? Why hadn't he come back to them?_

She walked steadily through the family room, past his favorite spot on the couch with a small, reminiscing smile on her face, and began moving down the stairs towards the Ghost Portal.

_He'd explained the best he could. He couldn't leave his city unprotected, and that kept him from staying dead. But at the same time, he needed to stay in the ghost zone. If he reappeared in Amity Park like nothing had happened, then it'd be like he never died, which he had. People needed to be able to move on. So he'd settled for trying to guard from the Ghost Zone, trying to keep track of the few natural portals and two man-made ones that led into Amity Park, keep them protected; while at the same time, he'd been keeping track of nearby ghosts in the Ghost Zone and any possible evil plans they may have for the human world, stopping danger any way he could._

Sam reached the bottom of the stairs and crossed the dark room, bathing it in the familiar and eerie Ghost Zones glow as she opened the doors. For a moment she simply stood in front of the hypnotic swirl and stared, her eyes slightly watering as she smiled bittersweet.

_Sam couldn't bear to say goodbye again, it was agonizing. "You have to go back, Sam." His eyes glowed, never again to be blue. "You have to protect Amity Park from the other side, and –" His voice cracked, "You have to continue to live out your life in the human world. You can't stay here."_

_So she'd left._

_At first it had hurt, impossibly so. But then her heart glowed with a realization._

Sam rubbed her eyes and grabbed her thermos, tipping it into a hole on a small mechanism attached to the portal through tubes. She watched the ghosts she had captured swirl back into where they belonged, and then with a smile of apprehension returned to standing in front of the portal, her eyes alert.

_Danny was waiting for her. He trusted her to do what he couldn't, and he'd do his best from the other side. But he was waiting for her. _

Sam watched carefully, not wanting to miss it. There, faintly, behind the swirling green door that connected the two inseparable worlds, was the familiar black and white of a human form, floating just on the other side.

_Sam knew she shouldn't go back into the Ghost Zone if she could help it – it would be too hard to say goodbye for a third time, and she was needed here. But she and Danny both knew they could meet, if only half way._

Like practicing a long-used ritual, Sam raised her hand and barely let it touch the portal's thin veil of separation. The figure opposite her did the same, and for that one precious moment, they met, and the world was perfectly balanced.

* * *

_Can you meet me halfway?_

_Can you meet me halfway?_

_Can you meet me halfway . . ._

_Meet me halfway._

_Right at the borderline is where I'm ganna wait . . . for you._

_I'll be looking out, night and day._

_Took my heart to the limit, and this is where I stay._

_I can't go any further than this._

_I want you so bad, it's my only wish . . ._


End file.
